The Census Bureau: Aren't They on Vacation Until 2010?

You might think that the Census Bureau does what it does every ten years,
but you would be sorely mistaken. Today’s Census Bureau, in addition
to taking a census of the population every 10 years, conducts censuses
of economic activity and state and local governments every five years.
And every year, the Census Bureau conducts more than 100 surveys. Throughout
the decade between censuses, demographic and economic surveys are continually
conducted to produce a general view and comprehensive study of U.S. social
and economic conditions.

The Census Bureau collects information in many other surveys and provides
the data to the survey sponsor for release. These sponsors include the
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Center
for Education Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, National
Science Foundation and the Social Security Administration.

So what’s new from the Census Bureau these days?

The U.S. Foreign-Born Population in 2003

Released in August, this survey estimates that the nation’s foreign-born
population in 2003 numbered 33.5 million, about 12 percent of the total U.S.
population. Among the foreign-born population, 53 percent were born in Latin
America, 25 percent in Asia, 14 percent in Europe, and the remaining 8 percent
in other regions of the world, such as Africa and Oceania. The 53 percent
from Latin America consisted of 37 percent from Central America (including
Mexico), 10 percent from the Caribbean, and 6 percent from South America.
For more details, the full report is available at www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2004/demo/p20-552.pdf.

Voting and Registration in the 2002 Election

This survey, released in late July, shows that a record number of Americans
(for a non-presidential election) registered and voted in the fall of 2002.
According to the report, 128 million Americans registered to vote, and 89
million reported that they voted. As seen in Figure 1, about 2.8 million Hoosiers
(60.9 percent of the total voting-age population) registered to vote, and
almost 1.9 million voted (39.9 percent of the total voting-age population).
Details are available on the Web at www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html.

German Ancestry Is Still Predominant

Based on the 2000 Census, this new report shows that nearly 43 million people
(15.2 percent) identify their ancestry as German (see Figure 2). Other groups
include Irish (30.5 million – 10.8 percent), African American (24.9
million – 8.8 percent), English (24.5 million – 8.7 percent),
American (20.2 million – 7.2 percent) and Mexican (18.4 million –
6.5 percent). In the state of Indiana, the largest groups include German (22.6
percent), American (11.8 percent), Irish (10.8 percent), English (8.9 percent)
and African American (6.5 percent). Find more details at www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf.

Facts for Features: Labor Day 2004

In honor of Labor Day (Sept. 6), the Census Bureau has released facts, figures
and trivia about the nation’s workers, 79.2 million men and 68.7 million
women strong.
Have you ever wondered…

What percentage of workers in private industry receive a paid vacation
as an employee benefit? 79 percent

What is the annual median earnings for male and female full-time, year-round
workers? $39,429 (male) and $30,203 (female)

What is the most common occupation? Secretaries and administrative assistants at 3.9 million workers

How many people hold down two or more jobs? 7.3 million

How many people are self-employed? 10.3 million

How many labor union members are there in the United States? 15.8 million

How many people commute to work between midnight and 6:30 a.m.? 25.4 million